India Opens for Diwali Trading: Nifty Back Above 25,000 After an 8.6% Week

India's stock markets open on a Sunday today, November 8, for the special Diwali Muhurat trading session that starts Samvat 2083 — and they do so after one of their strongest weeks in years, with the Nifty 50 back above 25,000 and foreign investors pouring in ₹45,960 crore. While most world markets sit closed for the weekend, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) will run a one-hour ceremonial session this afternoon, giving the rally a festive — and closely watched — next chapter.

What is happening today?

Muhurat trading is a long-standing Diwali tradition: a short, symbolically auspicious session held on the festival to mark the start of the new Hindu financial year. This year it falls on Sunday, November 8, and opens Samvat 2083. According to the exchange circulars reported by The Hindu BusinessLine, the block deal window runs from 1:50 pm to 2:05 pm IST, the pre-open session follows from 2:05 pm, and continuous trading runs from 2:20 pm to 3:30 pm IST. The Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) will run commodity trading in the same 2:20 pm to 3:30 pm window.

These are real trades, not a ceremony alone — orders that fill carry normal settlement obligations. Trades from today's session settle on Monday, November 9, and the exchanges are then closed on Tuesday, November 10, for Diwali-Balipratipada.

The week that set it up

The session arrives on the back of a remarkable run. On Friday, November 6, the Sensex surged 1,718.01 points, or 2.17%, to close at 81,028.02, reclaiming the 80,000 mark, while the Nifty gained 493.75 points, or 2.01%, to settle at 25,030.35, crossing 25,000. It was the seventh consecutive session of gains for both benchmarks.

For the full week, the Nifty rose about 8.58% and the Sensex about 8.82% — described across multiple outlets as their strongest weekly performance in over a year. Banking shares led the way, with the Bank Nifty gaining about 8% over the week, and the rally was broad enough to lift mid-cap shares as well.

Why it's blowing up: foreign money came back

The engine of the move was a sharp turnaround in foreign flows. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net buyers of about ₹45,960 crore of Indian equities during the week, according to figures reported by Nation Press and other outlets — more than offsetting the roughly ₹45,162 crore they withdrew in October, after a 10-week selling run. Reports put Thursday's inflow alone at about ₹14,975 crore, described as the biggest single-day FII investment in more than a year, with another ₹13,750 crore added on Friday.

Domestic institutions moved the other way: domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers of about ₹24,197 crore, ending an 11-week buying streak. In other words, this rally was powered by returning overseas money, not local funds. A collapse of more than 12% in crude oil prices over the week also helped sentiment for India, a major oil importer, at a moment when Wall Street was reeling from an AI-led selloff — a contrast that made India's strength stand out globally.

Key facts

• Session: Muhurat trading, Sunday, November 8, 2:20–3:30 pm IST on NSE and BSE; MCX commodities in the same window, per NewKerala.
• Friday close: Sensex 81,028.02 (+2.17%); Nifty 25,030.35 (+2.01%) — a seventh straight gain.
• Week: Nifty +8.58%, Sensex +8.82%, Bank Nifty about +8%.
• Flows: FIIs bought about ₹45,960 crore in the week; DIIs sold about ₹24,197 crore.
• History: The Sensex and Nifty rose in eight of the ten Muhurat sessions from 2016 to 2025, falling only in 2016 and 2017, according to FinBrooks.

What's next

Analysts quoted ahead of the session expect a positive bias today, helped by momentum, festive optimism and hopes of an earnings recovery — but they also caution that a one-hour Muhurat session is not, by itself, a reliable signal of a sustained rally. Global uncertainty, elevated valuations, crude prices and whether foreign buying continues are the risks they flag. One analyst quoted in previews put a Samvat 2083 target range of 26,500–27,000 for the Nifty by next Diwali; that is an individual analyst expectation, not a forecast and not advice. The more durable test comes when normal trading resumes Monday: whether the foreign inflows that powered this week keep coming after the festival.

This report is news coverage only and is not financial advice.

FAQ

What is Muhurat trading?

It is a special one-hour Diwali trading session on India's NSE and BSE that ceremonially opens the new Hindu financial year. In 2026 it runs on Sunday, November 8, from 2:20 pm to 3:30 pm IST, opening Samvat 2083.

Why did Indian stocks rally so much this week?

Foreign investors returned in force, buying about ₹45,960 crore of equities in the week after months of selling, while crude oil fell more than 12%, easing a key cost pressure for India.

How did the Sensex and Nifty finish the week?

The Sensex closed Friday at 81,028.02, up 2.17% on the day and about 8.82% on the week. The Nifty closed at 25,030.35, up 2.01% on the day and about 8.58% on the week.

Does a positive Muhurat session predict the year ahead?

No. Benchmarks rose in eight of the last ten Muhurat sessions, but analysts caution the short, low-volume session is a market tradition, not a reliable signal for the year.